Navigating the Tech Skills Shortage: How to Find Permanent Staff in a Competitive Jobs Market

​The world faced a turning point in 2020 when amidst Brexit, the global pandemic hit, and everything changed. Three years on, we continue to navigate our way through the long-term effects still being discovered.

One of those lingering effects is the lack of skilled workers in certain industry sectors. According to Open University’s Business Barometer which surveyed over 1,000 business leaders across the UK, 68% of SME’s are currently facing skills shortages, rising to 86% in large companies.

Whilst Big Tech have been notable for worker layoffs globally, there continues to be ongoing tech skills shortages. Recent Gartner findings demonstrate that demand for tech talent still significantly exceeds supply and 85% of CIOs report more competition for qualified candidates.

The situation is unlikely to resolve soon. Research done by the Learning and Work Institute showed that of the young people interested in the tech industry, only 18% believe they had the advanced tech skills that employers may require, and therefore companies are finding less people entering the industry every year. This has left a definite gap in talent being recruited in these areas. Moreover, with 72% of companies stating that the shortage in skills has increased, the workload has increased for current employees, leading to retention issues.

With demand on the job market at an all-time high, the skills coming out of the education system not fulfilling the needs of employers and the continuing effects of the great resignation, it has never been more important for organisations to approach the recruitment process with a clear and precise strategy. We have no choice but to look towards how both recruiters and organisations can source, attract, and retain the top tech talent.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How to build an effective candidate attraction plan

• How work-life balance has become more important than salary for some

• Ways to get a competitive advantage

Techniques to attract permanent staff to join your tech team

Demand on the job market is intense, which means you can no longer wait for applicants to come to you. You must produce and execute a targeted candidate attraction strategy to help you reach both actively searching and passive candidates, who might not be looking for a job yet.

You can tackle the tech skills shortage by considering the channels your candidates use, language that engages them, how you are going to promote your business as a great place to work, and how you are going to manage the recruitment process.

Example of a candidate attraction plan

• Decide on the essential skills you want your new employee to have.

• Consider which skills would be nice to have but are not essential.

• Which channels do you candidates use to look for jobs and what is your budget for advertising e.g. LinkedIn, direct websites, agencies, Indeed, CV Library etc…

• What makes your business a great place to work? Make sure you clearly communicate this on your website, adverts, and brochures.

• Write a quality job description that clearly describes the jobs’ purpose, responsibilities, skills, and experience needed, company info and benefits package.

• Who is going to own the recruitment process? Who will ensure clear communication, review applications, book interviews, answer questions etc?

Producing an effective candidate attraction strategy requires you to not only understand the technology role and skills, but also the wider market and how to remain competitive.

Recruitment is time consuming, and when you are recruiting for niche tech roles it can be tricky to find those mid to senior level hires, who might not actively be looking for a new job. Working with a specialist technology recruiter can remove a lot of that pressure and ensure you make the right hire first time. They can access their exclusive candidate network, widening your talent reach.

As we know, the wasted time of making the wrong hire can be costly, so expert advice can save you money in the long term.

The switch from salary to benefits in attracting staff

If these past few years have proved anything, it’s that businesses are leaning on perks in the workplace to retain staff, and they now play a vital role in candidate attraction.

A survey conducted by Glassdoor showed that 60% of people think perks and benefits play a vital role in deciding whether to apply for a new position. That is almost two-thirds of the job market!

Benefits that promote wellbeing are crucial. A recent survey by FE News revealed that 70% of women, and 65% of men see work-life balance as more important than their pay. Remote working and flexible hours have also been proven to increase productivity in the workplace. 30% of surveyed workers found that with less commute and longer sleeping hours their productivity has increased, which has led to working from home becoming a standard part of contracts for the next generation of workers. To stay competitive when deciding on a wellness package for your current and future employees, you therefore need to make innovative decisions that will set you apart from the rest.

What about including access to wellness resources, such as gym membership, or regular massages for your workers? Or with over 10 million households now sharing their home with a pet, offering day-care for pets, or pet insurance as an added perk of the job is a popular move.

Incentives for staff can be a fantastic add on to your benefits package too. Did you know that 65% of employees have not received any form of recognition for good work in the last year? Whether it be based on sales or a yearly staff retreat, the opportunity to reward individuals or team success will continue to drive engagement and allow your organisation to evolve.

Get creative and think about what benefits you can offer that align with your company values. Do not forget that a sustainability strategy is key when making these decisions. Consistency goes hand in hand with retaining staff!

Time to call in the experts and make a change?

By implementing a well thought through candidate attraction plan, you can set your business apart from your competitors and overcome the challenge of the tech skills shortage.

When you have harder to fill technology roles, the right plan and support can make all the difference to strengthening your workforce, quickly.

If you would like a no obligation consultation to discuss your niche technology hiring needs, contact our team today, and we will be happy to advise.